Lemonade and Gherkin – a refreshing mix

At the event, directors David Pugh and Dan Mills urged attendees to change their approach to communications in the workplace and improve overall employee engagement. They encouraged people to segment the workforce to ensure every communication is relevant and targeted, meeting the needs of multi-generational workforces. These days, one size will not fit all.

The call was prompted by Lemonade’s recent financial education survey, which found only one in three HR managers, directors and the ilk discuss financial education topics that are relevant to each life stage; they’re more likely to cover only the benefits they offer, and respondents even confessed to changing the content dependent upon the person’s position in the firm and where he/she works. Don’t we all have the same needs regardless of what job we have and what sector we work in?

Communicating in a way that’s most appropriate for the individual is crucial. Neuro-linguistic advocates suggest a visual person, who gets the message when it’s presented as an image, may prefer an app or a desktop presentation; an auditory person (list and task focused) is likely to opt for a printed version; while the kinaesthetic person (touchy-feely – the person who likes making paper click chains or rubber-band balls) will be keen to attend a face-to-face seminar. What’s perceived as the right way to communicate by a group of visual people will alienate two thirds of the audience, so it’s important to break down those communication barriers and use a combination of techniques.

Isn’t this what they do in education – recognise and tailor teaching to different learning styles? Why is this forgotten when we reach the workplace?

The overwhelming message from the event was the high demand for greater financial education in the workplace; 85 per cent of respondents see it as a valuable benefit, yet 78 per cent of respondents have nothing in place.

Given that nearly half, 43 per cent, of employees consider their finances a cause of stress or distraction while at work, and 77 per cent said they would take advantage of financial education if it was offered, isn’t it time to move financial education up the priority list? Perhaps there’s a need to need to educate the educators.